Re: Call for Endorsement: Letter to Maharshtra Home Minister Protesting Official "Kidnap" of Activists Coinciding with Hillary Clinton Visit to Mummbai

On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 8:12 AM, Sukla Sen <sukla.sen@gmail.com> wrote:

Friends,

The press-cum-public meet (ref: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/india-unity/message/32655>) held at the Press Club , Mumbai decided to take a delegation to the state Home Minister and hand over the letter reproduced below, which is self-explanatory, at the very earliest.

A formal appointment with him is being sought.

You are requested to immediately send in your endoresements.

In solidarity,

Sukla Sen

for Citizens' Initiative for Peace (CIP)

P.S.: This letter is different from the earlier condemnation which you may have had endorsed. So needs separate endorsement.

Letter to Maharshtra Home Minister Protesting Official "Kidnap" of Activists Coinciding with Hillary Clinton Visit to Mummbai

To

The Home Minister of Maharashtra,

Mantralay,

Mumbai

Sub: Undemocratic Arrest/Detention of Activists by Mumbai Police Coinciding with the Visit of Ms Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, to the City 

Sir,

We, on behalf of the Citizens' Initiative for Peace (CIP), note with a sense of shock and horror and consequently draw your attention to the fact, even if already well covered by the media, that on the last Friday, July 17, evening, three prominent social/political activist from Mumbai viz., Feroze Mithiborwala, Kishor Jagtap and Aslam Ghazi were picked up by the Mumbai Police and kept under detention, in two city police stations, for over twenty hours.

No reason whatever has been indicated for this official "kidnap". 

It appears that they were picked up to scuttle the possibility, just possibility, of any protest demonstration against the visiting US Secretary of State, Ms. Hillary Clinton. 

One does not have to agree with political positions of those who were detained in order to strongly denounce this grossly undemocratic act on the part of the Mumbai Police.

The right to dissent, and dissent in public, is what sets a "democracy" apart from an authoritarian regime. And we never tire of claiming, and not too unjustifiably, that India is the "largest democracy" in the world.

It is precisely in that context, the action of the Mumbai Police is extremely unfortunate and utterly condemnable.

It is also, could we add, pretty foolish to do so when the attention of the national and international media is focussed on the city because of the visit by the high profile dignitary. It, we are sure, has caused significant damage to India's democratic credentials. And even the visiting dignitary cannot escape unscathed the negative fallout as many would tend to hold her at least indirectly responsible.

In view of above, we demand that as a remedial measure at least a departmental enquiry be immediately instituted for fixing responsibilities for such irresponsible and grossly undemocratic act. You may also issue an explanation and a note of apology as the proverbial buck presumably stops at your door.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Dolphy D'souza, Bombay Catholic Sabha

Jatin Desai, People's media Initiative   

Sukla Sen, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity)

Dr. Lena Ganesh, social activist

Sohaib Lokhandwala, Movement for Peace and Justice (MPJ)

Anand Patwardhan, film-maker

Kamayani Bali Mahabal, human rights activist

Asad Bin Saif, BUILD

Mukta Srivastava, NAPM

Sudhir Badami, town and transportation system planner and social activist

Daniel Mazgaonkar, Sarvodaya activist

Ruchi Shroff, social activist

Sanober Keshwar, lawyer

Kumar Ketkar, Editor Loksatta

Gayatri Singh, human rights lawyer

Manasi Pingle, film-maker

Chirag Suvarna, social activist

Chetna Birje, lawyer

Sumedh Jadhav, Friends of Society

Munawar Azad, Awami Bharat

Maqbool Alam, Wakf Khidmat Committee

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited.blogspot.com/